An engineering director for the Benderson Development Co. tonight did not reveal what businesses will be coming into a two-track commercial venture on the parking lot of the former Kmart at the intersection of Lewiston and Park roads.
Speaking at the Genesee County Planning Board meeting via Zoom videoconferencing, Matthew Oates said he did not have any signed leases at this point for the proposed project that would create (1) a 4,000-square-foot restaurant with a drive-thru and bypass lane on the southwest corner and (2) a 6,752-square-foot retail/restaurant building with a 2,000-square-foot endcap coffee shop with drive-thru on the southeast corner (see drawing below).
These two businesses would be located along Lewiston Road, using existing entrances to the parking lot off Lewiston and Park. The Kmart building, itself, is not part of the venture.
“We are working with tenants,” said Oates, who was on the call along with Katherine Rowe, design engineer. “And our expectation would be that when the building construction is complete that there will be tenants occupying at least some of the space. We wouldn't be putting these up and then having them sit there vacant. I don’t have anyone I can tell you today. Unfortunately, I wish I could.”
County planners recommended approval of the site plan and special use permit for the project, taking their lead from Planning Director Felipe Oltramari, who stated that the development would pose no significant countywide or intercommunity impact.
It is required, however, that Benderson complies with Town of Batavia zoning regulations as they pertain to signage on the buildings.
Oates said the company plans to add green space “around the buildings (and) additional green islands within the parking lot as well.”
He mentioned that because more than an acre will be disturbed, his company submitted a Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan.
“We do have the elevations,” he said. “We think it is an attractive building with the mixture of EIFS cornice, fabric awnings and stone treatments, as well. So, overall, we're very excited for the project to get it start going and to really start redeveloping this section of the Batavia and really, hopefully, bring an enhancement to this area.”
Oates said an additional traffic light won't be necessary since there already is one at the intersection of Lewiston and Park roads.
Planner Tom Schubmehl commended Oates for “doing a nice job controlling traffic on Lewiston,” but asked if there would be an issue of cars cutting through the parking lot from Park Road to the opposite corner.
“Are you going to do anything in the parking lot that's going to prevent people from just blasting through the parking lot from north to south?” he asked.
Oates said nothing specific was in the works, noting that with similar developments, the new businesses “eliminate someone coming in on one side and then just flying through the parking lot to get across because now there's cars in there.”
“There's cars parked there, cars coming in the other direction. So, we find the actual businesses and bringing customers in, really starts to make people follow the traffic and the striping and everything else much more than they do when it's an empty parking lot like it is out there today.”
The project now will be considered by the Town Planning Board, likely at its next meeting on Tuesday night (March 15).
Previously: Developer proposes retail/restaurant businesses on former Kmart property along Lewiston Road
Top: Architect renderings of outside of proposed buildings at Kmart parking lot. Bottom: Overhead view of the two developments off Lewiston Road.
What idiocy one maybe two
What idiocy... one maybe two more restaurants and another coffee shop... have these planners/developers lost all common sense and reasonableness? So what existing west end coffee shop will suffer most Dunkin' or Horton's? Maybe both... And what drive-thru restaurants will suffer along with the coffee shops? McD's, Taco Bell, KFC, Taco Place... ???
Why is it the planners' fault
Why is it the planners' fault? They don't own the property. They're not the ones opening the businesses.
The only job of a planner is to ensure private property owners comply with zoning laws. I see no evidence the planners are doing anything different in this case.
Businesses deal with competition all the time. Some thrive, some fail. Maybe the new ones will fail. Maybe the old ones will. Maybe they'll all thrive. Typically, a business of any size isn't opening a new location without doing a market study.
Lots of people got into comments a while back said the new Dunkin' and the new Tim Horton's on the west side would fail. They haven't and they haven't driven a competitor out of business. Ditto the McDonald’s on East Main.
It's called competition. If
It's called competition. If the developers did not think they could make money, they would not do it. And you have to love how people who are not putting their money at risk think they know better than the people who do put their money at risk. base, The others will just have to step up to keep what they have.
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John I wish you owned a mom &
John I wish you owned a mom & pop restaurant or coffee shop in the west side of Batavia. Once these new places opened I never come to yours any longer...
Tim Hortons and DD are not
Tim Hortons and DD are not mom and pop stores, which was what you original said. But I thought you were for free enterprise and competition.